- Farmers want the government to explain deductions from their tea earnings.
- Delayed refunds have left growers struggling with loans and household expenses.
- Thumaita factory leaders are pushing for promised processing equipment to improve tea quality.
Tea farmers from Thumaita Tea Factory in Kirinyaga County have urged the government to come clean, demanding a refund of Ksh117 million deducted from their earnings to cover fertiliser costs. They say the government’s delay in releasing the funds has affected their bonuses.
The farmers stated that they have been left struggling to repay loans and meet household expenses. Banks are on their necks following the loans they took, in the expectation that their bonuses would cover them.
Through their factory directors and buying centre representatives, the farmers said the government had promised to remit funds meant for subsidised fertiliser supplied to tea growers at Ksh2,500 per bag. However, it is yet to release the funds to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
Speaking during a meeting with leaders from the respective buying centres to review the factory’s board and management reports, Thumaita Tea Factory Chairman Richard Magu said the fertiliser-related debt had accumulated to approximately Ksh171 million, with Ksh117 million paid using funds meant for farmers.
Magu called on the government to refund the money. He said farmers needed a clear explanation of how their bonuses were calculated and why the expected subsidy had not reached the factory months down the line, despite endless promises.
“We want transparency from the government. We were told that the fertiliser was to be delivered to us at Ksh2,500 and that the amount was to be paid by the government, but what we have come to realise is that our tea sales paid what the government had promised to pay, affecting our bonus badly,” he said.
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He said farmers should not bear the financial burden of a subsidy expected to be funded by the government, and urged the relevant authorities to clarify the status of the outstanding payments.
Magu also raised concerns over approximately Ksh40 million reportedly paid by the factory towards a government related payment previously reflected on farmers’ payslips as “GOK”. He said the factory wanted the money refunded, arguing that farmers should not shoulder the cost if it was intended to be a government payment.
In addition, Magu called on the government to deliver additional tea processing equipment promised by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. He said the delay was holding back efforts to improve tea quality and increase farmers’ earnings.
He said the factory had received a crush, tear, curl (CTC) machine and a tea dryer valued at Ksh28.7 million but was still waiting for additional equipment to replace ageing machinery.
Magu said modern equipment would improve processing, enable the factory to produce higher quality tea and help it fetch better prices in the competitive market, potentially translating into higher bonuses for farmers.
He urged the government to honour its commitment to supply the remaining equipment, saying better processing capacity was important in improving returns to growers.
Tea farmer Jamleck Mugoh said the delayed reimbursement had worsened farmers’ financial difficulties. Reduced earnings, he said, had made it harder for some growers to meet household needs and repay loans.
“We are asking the government to refund this money because it is our right. We have suffered in our homes, and some farmers are being chased by banks because they cannot repay their loans,” Mugoh said.
He appealed to the government to expedite the refund, saying the money would help farmers pay school fees, meet household expenses and invest in farming and livestock.
The farmers said the refund would provide relief to households that depend on tea earnings, particularly as they prepare for the January school term.
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